BENGALURU: Vu TV has issued an advisory saying e-commerce major Flipkart is its only exclusive partner and the brand being sold on other online platforms may not be of genuine quality. Vu said products listed on other sites will not be covered under the company's warranty. The development comes after smartphone major One Plus took a jibe at Flipkart saying it's sold only on Amazon and that the company will not guarantee the authenticity of phones being bought on other online channels. One Plus's statement came in the light of Flipkart announcing it will be selling One Plus3 soon at discounted prices. Since December 2014, One Plus has been Amazon's exclusive partner while VuTV has been an exclusive available on Flipkart for almost two years.

Presently, Vu TVs are being sold on Amazon and New Delhi-based Snapdeal has also listed it on its site.

But the Devita Saraf-led brand said it is sold exclusively on Flipkart. We have not authorized the sale on any other online platform. In the interest of our consumers, any products sold elsewhere online other than Flipkart, may not be of genuine quality and not be covered under company warranty, the company said in a statement. According to people aware of the move, this has been done to counter Amazon and One Plus's taunting remark on Flipkart regarding One Plus 3 phones recently. "Having exclusive rights of the brand combined with our impeccable service, we are able to create a loyal customer base in this category," a Flipkart spokesperson said.

When contacted, an Amazon spokesperson said in an email that they are a marketplace and products listed on Amazon.in are by independent sellers. Snapdeal did not immediately respond to TOI's email query on the matter.

Ahead of One Plus's advisory, company founder Carl Pei had tweeted to Flipkart's founder Sachin Bansal asking how could they sell One Plus3 phones on the Indian e-tailer's site when the smartphone maker's exclusive online partner is Amazon India. Flipkart, then, defended itself using the same explanation as Amazon India did to TOI. Flipkart being a marketplace, has multiple third-party sellers who can sell anything at any cost as those are controlled by the seller and not Flipkart, the home grown e-commerce firm had said then.

Exclusive brand partnerships between e-commerce companies and brands are routine in the industry helping players boost. Segments such as smartphones, televisions, electronic goods are key to enhance overall GMV as these have higher average selling price. Amazon has been aggressively cornering market share throughout 2016 while Flipkart has been defending its leadership position of the Indian e-commerce market.

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